100 Leica M9 weddings by Leica Photographer Philip Thomas

Over 100 Leica weddings have come and gone since I shot my first wedding with a Leica M9 and a Leica M(240). This post is not for readers interested in a review of Leica gear. Instead, it’s more about how I feel when I use it and how it’s shaped my approach to taking photos. Perhaps even making me a better photographer for it.

The small non-intimidating cameras have allowed me to go about my wedding work as unobtrusively as possible and not be seen as the ‘professional photographer. Like a street shooter, I don’t want to draw attention to myself. Couples are booking me know in advance my philosophical approach, and the idea of a photographer not directing their day has a strong appeal. It’s not just opened my mind up to a patient way of seeing, capturing moments and geometry, but how I carry myself throughout a wedding.

As a photographer for over 20 years, I’ve always been interested in Leica’s history. When I first got my hands on a Leica six years ago, I knew from that moment somehow I had to get one without breaking the bank. Discussing this with my wife’s approval was part of the deal. My first camera was the M9 with a 35mm f1.4 summilux, and from that point on, I was hooked. Over 100 weddings later, the M9 and Leica M240 are an integral part of my wedding day, along with a few lenses. A 1957 M3 is also part of my gear.

My philosophy for shooting weddings is to react to and anticipate moments throughout a wedding day. I take a few quick group shots. Besides, I capture the day unobtrusively, avoiding those done-and-dusted wedding cliches. People ignore me because the Leica is so small, no one takes any notice, and Uncle Bob’s, the often annoying camera enthusiasts at every wedding, do not approach. Compared to lifting a giant SLR to my eye certainly gets people’s attention and unobtrusiveness is certainly not part of the vocabulary. Of course, none of this can be achieved without the appropriate body language throughout the long day shoot.

My reasons why I use a rangefinder are multiple. Along with the apparent history and inspiration using Leica, my mind has opened up to a world that I didn’t always see before, and I firmly believe that as a work in progress, my images are more potent. The entire manual focus (yes, I can focus more often than not quicker manually than autofocus) and the simplicity of shutter and aperture give me complete control over the final images.